Bodily homeostasis is the regulation of the milieu interieur (internal environment) of the living mammalian body. Homeostasis is the process through which organs, glands, and the central and peripheral nervous system harmoniously function to balance life equilibrium. The process includes, but is not limited to, glandular participation in the regulation of body temperature, heart rate, respiration, digestion, energy metabolism, immunity, and reproduction. Glandular secretions also are used to protect the human or animal body from invading microbes, environmental dust, and other wind carried or propelled chemicals, smoke products or odors.
The glandular flow of chemicals or hormones plays an important role in the homeostasis process. There are two principal classes of secretory glands. There are the “endocrine” glands that secrete directly into the blood stream and there are the “exocrine” glands that produce a secretion onto the surface of the body and to protect with secretions in the exterior orifices or into the interior of organs other than directly into the bloodstream.
The ability to electrically cause the endocrine or exocrine glands to secrete or to cease secreting or even to partially secrete would be a compelling medical technology for potentially controlling or adjusting body homeostasis. The control of the glands is by means of neuro-electrical coded signals that originate in the brain and brain stem. The ability to influence the amount of chemicals, hormones or aqueous/mucoid substances to influence the body's response to stress, sexual function, lactation, tears, digestive juices, salt & water balance and behavior. Puberty is evolved in male and female mammals because of the long-term influence of endocrine glands. If such system of glands is controlled by actual neuro-electrical coded signals (waveform) generated by a device that records, stores, and rebroadcasts it would greatly add to the clinical medicine tools. Such glandular control technology would provide a clinical neuro-electric method to fine-tune the function of many glandular based biological systems for the benefit of mankind.
The invention would use the actual neuro-electrical coded signals that send operational information to operate and regulate the wide variety of endocrine and exocrine glands of the human and animal body. These actual neuron signals travel along selected nerves to send the operational commands to the target gland.
The glands of the human and other mammals are operated by neuro-electrical coded signals from the brain which, in turn can excrete, in selected cases, chemical instructional signals. These chemical signals are transferred to target organs via the blood stream in the case of the endocrine glands.
The exocrine glands do not excrete into the blood stream as do the endocrine glands. These types of glands have a type of duct system to flow the secretions outward. The exocrine glands excrete or secrete largely onto surfaces exterior to the body such as the sweat glands which help cool the body as a contribution to body homeostasis. The sebaceous glands lubricate the surface of the skin with an oily substance. The lacrimal glands make tears to cleanse and lubricate the eyes. Important exocrine glands are the mammary glands, which provide babies milk. The class of species called “mammals” gets their name because they nurse their young from mammary glands.
Another type of exocrine glands are those that provide digestive chemicals such as saliva and digestive juices that affect the mouth, stomach, and intestines to begin as the first step to accomplish the digestion of food. There are wax producing glands in the external ear canal for protection from insects and microbes.
An example of an exocrine gland in a non-mammal species is the poison gland in snakes which is injected via fangs into a victim, which is usually a mammal, as an aid in catching food and to begin the digestive process.
This is a representative sampling of the endocrine glands which can be regulated by neuro-electrical coded signals. These glands are ductless and transfer their secretory hormone products directly into the blood stream. The blood stream carries the endocrine hormones to distant cells or target organs within the body to control short or long-term functions. The following list is not meant to be complete or all encompassing, but to provide a picture of the arena in which the invention operates.
Endocrine glands include the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, parathyroid, ovary, testis, and part of the pancreas. There is also the placenta, thymus, and pineal gland. The prostate may be considered an exocrine gland. The lubricating vaginal canal mucous produced by the adult female in response to sexual stimulation can be considered an exocrine gland. The protective mucus produced in the bronchial tubes of the respiratory tract also qualifies as exocrine type.
The kidney is also an excretory gland plus a vital organ. It produces hormones involved in the control of blood pressure and for erythropoiesis which is the production of red blood cells. The kidney also functions as a vital organ filter to remove soluble waste products from the blood stream. Therefore the kidney is part a method to remove certain liquid waste and it is an endocrine gland too.
The endocrine and exocrine glandular operating signal(s) occur naturally as a burst or continuous pattern of signals followed by a pause and then another burst of neuron activity followed by a pause of short or long duration and so it is on and on throughout life. Such signal(s) amplitude or time of pause can be varied to accomplish the glandular activity required. Endocrine and exocrine glandular activity requires variable repetitive neuro-electrical coded signals as humans or animals live. Various glandular secretions operate in a symphonic pattern being conduced by the brain to accomplish the mission assigned, all aimed at maintaining the best body homeostasis. There is adequate but variable space between the signals produced by the neurons located both in the brain and the peripheral nervous system to allow synchronization of secretion production into smooth hormonal or chemical applications by the endocrine and exocrine glands.